"Encircled" puts recurring rhythmic passages in the foreground, reminding us of traditional military music. These passages are always enveloped in more modern sonorities and harmonies in order to combine tradition and modernity. Right from the first notes, we can hear the melodic/rhythmic motif which will serve as the main musical material throughout the whole work. With cadenzas, flowing lyrical writing, and powerful rhythmic drive, this is an exciting and dramatic work. Jonathan Dagenais